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planters with cement and rags

casagrande
9 years ago

has anyone tried making planters with cement and rags? it was posted on fb with not very good instructions. wondered if anyone has done a video on it?

Comments (17)

  • mikeys33
    9 years ago

    Those planters caught my eye so I googled and found this
    http://www.thehypertufagardener.com/oh-the-possibilities-draped-hypertufa/

  • Kim The Hypertufa Gardener
    9 years ago

    I have info about that on my website, with 3 videos. The above citation is at my site. Thank you for that reference to The Hypertufa Gardener. There are additional articles on the website about these also.

    If you make one, start small until you get the hang of it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Draped Hypertufa

  • lee1990
    9 years ago

    We made 7 of these last week following the videos from The Hypertufa Gardener site (thanks Kim). They came out great. I had cut the mixture in half and still had to rummage around to find more things to stack up, So be prepared before you start. Going to make another batch next week. These are really neat and easy to make.

  • Kim The Hypertufa Gardener
    9 years ago

    Thanks, lee1990, I am glad that helped some. Yours look a lot like mine. It is easy to do, but messy. I am planning some more.and I will post about them too.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Hypertufa Gardener

  • nico_girl3
    9 years ago

    Would burlap work for this or old sheets that were cut to size? Love the look of these and really want to try it.

  • Kim The Hypertufa Gardener
    9 years ago

    I think burlap would be really great. A little bit of a heavy fabric seems best to me and that would help to give it structure. Go for it! The sheets will be thinner, and maybe I would double up. But hey, make them thinner, then stack them inside each other and it will seem like flower petals?

  • club53
    9 years ago

    Hi:

    These are really great. Made a few as an experiment; took them to a sale and they sold like hotcakes. I told my customers up front they were a new product for me and I don't know how well they will hold up to rain, etc. but the price was low and they were willing to chance them.

    How do these stand up to rain? I'm in the northeast --- how about snow???

    Altho all were made from the same mixture and same material some were wiggly and others rigid. Do you think adding more Portland would remedy this?

    Thanks for sharing your instructions; these will be a big hit --once I get the quality under control!!

  • Kim The Hypertufa Gardener
    9 years ago

    I first made these this past spring, but there were snowstorms here and these were out in them. No problem for mine.

    And yes, some were "flimsy-ish" for some reason, and I don't think they would hold up. But when that happened, I recoated with another slurry mix heavy on portland.

    My largest one is ready to take inside. It is as hard as stone. Has an asparagus fern planted in it, and I am preserving that plant. Not hardy in Ohio winter. I expect to set it back out next spring. But the others I made will stay out all winter. We shall see.

    So glad they sold for you. They are popular. I need to come up with some more ideas!

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Hypertufa Gardener

  • Myrdin
    9 years ago

    I made a standing stone for a friend using this same idea. I soaked two old beach towels in the cement, draped them over a form made of assorted stacked pieces of scrap styrofoam and arranged the towels so there was a slight flange/lip at the bottom. After it set up I smeared on a half inch thick coating of Hypertufa. When that had cured for a week I misted on various shades of cement colorant thinned with water for a more natural, less monotone look. I doused the whole thing with a vinegar-water mixture every day for the rest of the 30 day cure and then gave it to the friend. He seems happy with it and says it is much more realistic than my previous faux stone experiments (even mistook it for a real rock at first until I lifted it).

  • PRO
    Cleaning At Its Very Best
    9 years ago

    I made a few of them but much taller. My tallest one is 3' 6". I really like them but want to see what yall think. Do yall sell them? If you do what would you ask for them? One more question, where do you sell them? Sorry for so mane questions but I have never done any thing like this before

  • Kim The Hypertufa Gardener
    9 years ago

    Those are spectacular! Love the shape you got from them. And those low sides should make a good fairy garden or even a great "spiller" feature. You did a wonderful job. Don't know what to charge since I don't sell. But put a high price and then bargain down.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The Hypertufa Gardener

  • PRO
    Cleaning At Its Very Best
    9 years ago

    luvmymoss, thank you so much for your kind comments

  • becky_ia
    9 years ago

    These are pretty exciting! I too have been experimenting with this after seeing the Hypertufa Gardener video. Can someone answer this question...how do you make them stronger? Are you using dry portland cement in the mix, or do you use a mortar mix? What about adding a cement additive to help make them stronger? I am just afraid they will crack and the cement will come off the rags Or is it just to be expected for them to last only one season?

  • Kim The Hypertufa Gardener
    9 years ago

    I made a second coat on some of mine that didn't seem strong enough. I made that thick slurry with portland and water and dribbled it over or painted it on like frosting a cake. I then allowed it to cure in a bag again. Several of mine are out in the snow and are surviving as of now.

  • dhd47
    9 years ago

    These look really nice. I can't wait to try this for myself.

  • almosthooked zone5
    8 years ago

    I just tried my first hypertufa draping pots and took them out of their molds yesterday with no troubles what so ever. The really large one over the stool was a bit of a challenge to get our by myself but when it came out with no problems I was totally impressed with a first attempt. I used a water bucket on one, coffee cans on another , old flower pot . Next attempt may try quart paint cant stacked to get the tall thin look. The large est was made with a lace table cloth and although see through in places it is quite striking. With it , I may have to give it a extra skim of cement and water on the inside so I can add soil or also could just pot in a 5 gallon bucket with holes drilled in the bottom. My neighbor from the garden club asked if I could do a training course although the site I found was very descriptive on how to do and thanks to Kim they worked to perfection for a first attempt... what fun!


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